Friday, June 03, 2011
5:58 PM
Dem Party to assist with Walker recall
Dem Party Chair Mike Tate this evening will throw the party's support behind the effort to recall Gov. Scott Walker next year.
Tate stressed to WisPolitics.com the effort will not be driven by the party, instead it will aid United Wisconsin, which has already been prepping to gather the more than half a million signatures needed to trigger a recall election.
Tate said he would prefer the effort to begin in late spring, which would pave the way for the recall election to be on the November ballot along with the presidential and U.S. Senate races. But he said that would not be a party decision.
"I know what day the most people will have a chance to weigh in and that's the November election," Tate said.
United Wisconsin Michael Brown said the groups that join the efforts will eventually make the call on when it begins. Organizers could start collecting signatures in November and turn them into the GAB just after the one year anniversary of Walker taking office in January.
Brown said collecting signatures in November and December could be difficullt with the weather and the holidays. But ultimately the decision will be based on when organizers believe it has the best chance to succeed.
"We just want to win," said Brown, whose group has a booth at the Dem convention and already has pledges from almost 190,000 people who want Walker recalled.
Brown stressed the organization is non-partisan and will work with anyone interested in helping, though he acknowledged the Dem Party's support is significant.
"The resources the Democrats bring to us are obviously going to be monumental," he said.
-- By JR Ross
Labels: 2011_state_convention